On route to Tunbridge Wells, Verity Lambourn befriends two lost children. She berates their mentor soundly, having no idea of his true identity. Henry, Marquis of Salmesbury, is brought up short by the girl's scolding. Buried in gloom, he has neglected his children.
When Verity knocks Henry flying, she realises he has been preying on her mind. Tumbling towards a promising future, Verity must confront the shadows of Henry's tragic past. Is her love enough to test the truth of a gypsy's prophecy and bring a marquis back to living life again? Matters come to a head when the children are kidnapped. Can Verity save them and Henry's sanity too? Or will a threat to Henry himself prove her breaking point?